I am IorithMagnus, but you may call me “Magnus” or “Mr. DM, sir.” Aspoté’s Gem is one of three homebrew campaigns in my world of Gallyria. There will be more to come in the future.
Heroes
Brodan Frostbeard (played by DarthDrizzt). Harq al-Ada (played by kevtr0n) Helena Cain (played by potatocrown) Kronk (played by Krivoi_Rog) Lia Diamonddew (played by DragonDenn)
Chapter 1
The story starts in a tavern, Bruthgar’s, in the town of Tarnos. When you open the door, you can see the bar is bustling. It’s a very busy day, with many a weary adventurer or mercenary. You can see a large half-orc bartender is dealing with a couple of rowdy customers. The bar aside, there are a few booth-like tables around the wall, almost all of them full. The inside of the tavern is about as clean as a tavern can be. Anyone seeking extra gold could check out the bulletin board for bounties.
((Go ahead and introduce your character. Describe your entrance into the tavern with a brief summary of how your character looks.))
A white-haired half elf saunters into the tavern. She wears a black set of leather armor, with a black cloak over that. Both look to be well-made and of exceptional craftsmanship. Her emerald eyes scan the tavern, and settle on a table in one corner. She moves over and takes a seat with her back to the wall. At her side rests a crossbow, with a dagger peeking out from her black boot. A chain rests around her neck, with the front dipping down under her leather armor.
A tanned half elf, who looks to be in her late twenties, walks into the tavern, heading straight for the bar. She has dark features and long black hair braided on one side, showing off the small bits of dirt and grime smeared across her skin. Her leather armor is worn and scarred, but still well kept, as are her weapons that she hangs at her hip. As she makes her way to the bar to order a drink, she leaves behind a faint trail of mud."Barkeep! A pint of ale for me, please... or rather, do you need help dealing with these ruffians first?"
Walking into the bar yelling to someone unseen back in the streets over his shoulder an expression that would be unwelcome in any family establishment, a tanned elf with long red hair with yellow and purple streaks laughs to himself. Wearing comfortable, and loosely fitting linen clothing, a bandana and wide brimmed hat to keep the hair out of his eyes, and the sun off his face, a rapier hanging low on his belt and a small steel buckler hanging on his back just barely covering a crossbow hanging beneath it. He has one ear pierced, a couple rings, and at least one visible tattoo. ((stereotypical pirate/sailor look))
He saunters up to the bar, leans back on it and without looking back simply says 'Rum.' When he arrives he reaches back to grab it, again, simply keeping his eyes on everything that's happening around the tavern, he puts his other hand over the glass, snaps his fingers as the glass magically chills and slams the drink. He then puts the glass back on the bar and points to it again to be refilled, and looks over at the equally tanned half-elf, noticing she too has a rapier on her hip. Nodding to the weapon and grinning, he says "I'm sure you can handle yourself, but ******* up some people in a bar is always more fun with friends. Fancy a partner?"
Saying this he adds a couple key phrases in Thieves' Cant meaning:
As other head into the tavern before him, a strange dwarf slowly steps in behind them, deep blue eyes shifting about the place as if inspecting the building for treasure or more accurately threats. Upon stepping fully inside the building the light from the fire place illuminates him fully to show a somewhat typical dwarf. He has unruly black hair on his head that is a stark contrast to his well groomed and carefully braided beard. His appearance differs though as his tanned skin seems to have patches of scale like things if one looks close enough but these are covered by dark colored clothes that look more like the clothing of a wizard of some other arcane caster, mostly consisting of greys, blacks and reds. His weapons were rather lacking as he carried two daggers on his belt along with a small quiver of bolts for the crossbow on his back, a staff of some sort next to that.
Making his way over towards the bar he waits for the half orc to deal with the trouble makers before making an order for his drink. "When ya are done with these fools I'd like whatever ale ye got that can get me drunk the quickest."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
The white-haired half-elf watches the others come in and stays at her table, waiting for a serving girl to come and take her order. She smiles as the ruffians are dealt with. Her hair is loose to her shoulders, and she pushes it back behind her slightly-pointed ear as she looks around for that serving girl.
The half-orc bartender slams one of the ruffians’ head on the bar, knocking him out. He places a couple of glasses on the man’s head and pours ale into both, then slides the glasses down the bar.
The tavern door opens and closes again. A short black figure arrives. A perceptive eye would see this figure has a beak and beady black eyes, but no wings. The kenku walks towards the table Lia was sitting at, and joins her there.
Lia ((For her only))
You know this kenku to be Skarhys, a traveling merchant. You see him in Tarnos’s market once in a while. You know him to be a kind vendor, often donating to the town’s orphanage and giving away necessities to the poor. He knows you as well, having covered for you in some of your petty thefts when you were younger.
Helena raises a brow as the bartender slams the ruffians head on table but simply shrugs as she takes her drink. "Well, it'd seem neither of us will be needed here. Thanks for the offer, though I can't say I'd have accepted." She takes her ale and walks towards the bulletin board, scanning the different jobs available as she sips her drink.
Helena replies back in Thieves Cant along the lines of:
Brodan grabs one of the glasses before they get to far down the bar, using Mage Hand to bring it closer until it is firmly in his hand. Without a single word he slams the drink back, downing it in one quick full. As he places the glass down he uses his other hand to wipe the foam from his beard. "Thank he for the drink. Get me another and tell me the price."
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
The bartender slides a shot of rum to the pirate-looking elf.
Helena
The bulletin board doesn’t have many jobs at this moment, but after a moment, a short goblin runs up to you. He’s got a pouch full of gold in his hand. He says, “The bird there wants to speak to you,” and he points at the kenku next to Lia. After that, the goblin runs out the door, with a group of angry dwarves after him.
Lia
Skarhys beckons a goblin over to him and whispers something in his ear. He reaches out and grabs a pouch of gold from the belt of a large dwarf, then places the pouch in the goblin’s hands. The goblin runs towards the half-elf checking out the bulletin board, says something you can’t hear from this distance, points to your table, then runs out the door.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Lia asks the kenku. "This isn't your normal type of place to visit..." She raises an eyebrow as the kenku calls over the goblin and hands over the pouch, more interested than anything as the goblin runs over to the woman by the board. "What are you up to now?" She asks the kenku.
Lia can see Skarhys’s beak move, but for a brief moment, no sound comes out. Then, a variety of voices start spilling out. You can make out “You know I been strugglin’. Puttin’ up a facade to seem full’a success. I finally found a gem I lost many years ago. It would’a made me rich if some’un hadn’t stoled it right away. I need help gettin’ it back.”
Lia does not recognize the goblin. He was just a random customer at the tavern. However, you do know they love gold. Skarhys may have taken advantage of that knowledge.
Brodan wants to tell the half orc he is crazy for charging such a price but decide to keep his opinion to himself so that he doesn't start a fight. With an internal grumble he pulls out the gold and places it in the hands of the bartender. Deciding he was not going to be paying for more he sips at this drink.
The front door swings open with a loud crash and stomping in, through a halo of dust, came an apparition difficult to assess at first glance, but ugly would naturally be one of the first things that would spring to mind. The being was about one-and-a-half meters tall, and close to that wide, covered in dark-red iron chain mail and carrying a monstrous club, made from the root ball of an iron wood tree - for those who might be able to discern the difference - over it's left shoulder. It's head, covered with grizzled red and grey hair looking as though chunks had been ripped out, appeared to lack a neck, maybe that was because what neck there might be was hidden beneath a necklace of jawbones, teeth and other fragments of skull bones; the splotchy green and tan skin, what was visible anyway, looked rough enough to scrape rusty metal clean. Glaring around with large, bright eyes, one brilliant green, the other a fiery orange, it growled out in a sotto voce bellow that shook the bottles nearby, "Brain-pan I breaker be Kronk!"
Bellying up to the bar and whamming down a few coppers he barked out, "Grog!"
Not touching the grog, he peered round the room.
"Need who breaker brain-pan Kronk?" The basso vibration of his voice caused some of the grog to slop out of the mug.
Rollback Post to RevisionRollBack
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
"Any idea who took the thing?" Lia asks. She bites her lower lip as she considers the kenku. "I do owe you some, for all of those times you covered for me when I was getting my legs under me." Seh says finally.
The half-orc seems to not care about the brutal appearance of Kronk, but quickly glances at it while going to get the grog. He takes the coppers, not wanting to lose an arm by telling it the grog costs more.
Back to Lia and Skarhys, he tells her, once again mimicking many voices he has heard, “No, I don’t. I only know location. It is be challenging. Not close to Tarnos. You comf’table?”
"Where is this location?" Lia asks with a sigh, pushing her hair behind an ear. "We will have to call us even though, if I help with this..." She adjusts the chain around her neck, as she looks distracted for a moment, as if someone else is speaking to her. her hand settles down between her breasts, where the end of the chain is likely to be.
(What does Lia's Warlock patron have to say about all of this?)
Brief introduction
I am IorithMagnus, but you may call me “Magnus” or “Mr. DM, sir.” Aspoté’s Gem is one of three homebrew campaigns in my world of Gallyria. There will be more to come in the future.
Heroes
Brodan Frostbeard (played by DarthDrizzt).
Harq al-Ada (played by kevtr0n)
Helena Cain (played by potatocrown)
Kronk (played by Krivoi_Rog)
Lia Diamonddew (played by DragonDenn)
Chapter 1
The story starts in a tavern, Bruthgar’s, in the town of Tarnos. When you open the door, you can see the bar is bustling. It’s a very busy day, with many a weary adventurer or mercenary. You can see a large half-orc bartender is dealing with a couple of rowdy customers. The bar aside, there are a few booth-like tables around the wall, almost all of them full. The inside of the tavern is about as clean as a tavern can be. Anyone seeking extra gold could check out the bulletin board for bounties.
((Go ahead and introduce your character. Describe your entrance into the tavern with a brief summary of how your character looks.))
A white-haired half elf saunters into the tavern. She wears a black set of leather armor, with a black cloak over that. Both look to be well-made and of exceptional craftsmanship. Her emerald eyes scan the tavern, and settle on a table in one corner. She moves over and takes a seat with her back to the wall. At her side rests a crossbow, with a dagger peeking out from her black boot. A chain rests around her neck, with the front dipping down under her leather armor.
A tanned half elf, who looks to be in her late twenties, walks into the tavern, heading straight for the bar. She has dark features and long black hair braided on one side, showing off the small bits of dirt and grime smeared across her skin. Her leather armor is worn and scarred, but still well kept, as are her weapons that she hangs at her hip. As she makes her way to the bar to order a drink, she leaves behind a faint trail of mud. "Barkeep! A pint of ale for me, please... or rather, do you need help dealing with these ruffians first?"
Walking into the bar yelling to someone unseen back in the streets over his shoulder an expression that would be unwelcome in any family establishment, a tanned elf with long red hair with yellow and purple streaks laughs to himself. Wearing comfortable, and loosely fitting linen clothing, a bandana and wide brimmed hat to keep the hair out of his eyes, and the sun off his face, a rapier hanging low on his belt and a small steel buckler hanging on his back just barely covering a crossbow hanging beneath it. He has one ear pierced, a couple rings, and at least one visible tattoo. ((stereotypical pirate/sailor look))
He saunters up to the bar, leans back on it and without looking back simply says 'Rum.' When he arrives he reaches back to grab it, again, simply keeping his eyes on everything that's happening around the tavern, he puts his other hand over the glass, snaps his fingers as the glass magically chills and slams the drink. He then puts the glass back on the bar and points to it again to be refilled, and looks over at the equally tanned half-elf, noticing she too has a rapier on her hip. Nodding to the weapon and grinning, he says "I'm sure you can handle yourself, but ******* up some people in a bar is always more fun with friends. Fancy a partner?"
Saying this he adds a couple key phrases in Thieves' Cant meaning:
"You new around here?"
PbP 🎲: Tyekanik; Moneo Noree; Korba Muris; & occasional DM:
As other head into the tavern before him, a strange dwarf slowly steps in behind them, deep blue eyes shifting about the place as if inspecting the building for treasure or more accurately threats. Upon stepping fully inside the building the light from the fire place illuminates him fully to show a somewhat typical dwarf. He has unruly black hair on his head that is a stark contrast to his well groomed and carefully braided beard. His appearance differs though as his tanned skin seems to have patches of scale like things if one looks close enough but these are covered by dark colored clothes that look more like the clothing of a wizard of some other arcane caster, mostly consisting of greys, blacks and reds. His weapons were rather lacking as he carried two daggers on his belt along with a small quiver of bolts for the crossbow on his back, a staff of some sort next to that.
Making his way over towards the bar he waits for the half orc to deal with the trouble makers before making an order for his drink. "When ya are done with these fools I'd like whatever ale ye got that can get me drunk the quickest."
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Kayassa Level 3 | Satyr | Warlock (Cleath13's LMoP)
Bertolt Silentlash Level 3 | Variant Human | Bard (Our Little Lives Kept in Equipoise: Death House)
Daerthe Narcion Level 4 | Drow | Rogue (Karmoli's Great Upheaval)
The white-haired half-elf watches the others come in and stays at her table, waiting for a serving girl to come and take her order. She smiles as the ruffians are dealt with. Her hair is loose to her shoulders, and she pushes it back behind her slightly-pointed ear as she looks around for that serving girl.
The half-orc bartender slams one of the ruffians’ head on the bar, knocking him out. He places a couple of glasses on the man’s head and pours ale into both, then slides the glasses down the bar.
The tavern door opens and closes again. A short black figure arrives. A perceptive eye would see this figure has a beak and beady black eyes, but no wings. The kenku walks towards the table Lia was sitting at, and joins her there.
Lia ((For her only))
You know this kenku to be Skarhys, a traveling merchant. You see him in Tarnos’s market once in a while. You know him to be a kind vendor, often donating to the town’s orphanage and giving away necessities to the poor. He knows you as well, having covered for you in some of your petty thefts when you were younger.
Helena raises a brow as the bartender slams the ruffians head on table but simply shrugs as she takes her drink. "Well, it'd seem neither of us will be needed here. Thanks for the offer, though I can't say I'd have accepted." She takes her ale and walks towards the bulletin board, scanning the different jobs available as she sips her drink.
Helena replies back in Thieves Cant along the lines of:
None of your business.
Brodan grabs one of the glasses before they get to far down the bar, using Mage Hand to bring it closer until it is firmly in his hand. Without a single word he slams the drink back, downing it in one quick full. As he places the glass down he uses his other hand to wipe the foam from his beard. "Thank he for the drink. Get me another and tell me the price."
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Kayassa Level 3 | Satyr | Warlock (Cleath13's LMoP)
Bertolt Silentlash Level 3 | Variant Human | Bard (Our Little Lives Kept in Equipoise: Death House)
Daerthe Narcion Level 4 | Drow | Rogue (Karmoli's Great Upheaval)
The bartender slides a shot of rum to the pirate-looking elf.
Helena
The bulletin board doesn’t have many jobs at this moment, but after a moment, a short goblin runs up to you. He’s got a pouch full of gold in his hand. He says, “The bird there wants to speak to you,” and he points at the kenku next to Lia. After that, the goblin runs out the door, with a group of angry dwarves after him.
Lia
Skarhys beckons a goblin over to him and whispers something in his ear. He reaches out and grabs a pouch of gold from the belt of a large dwarf, then places the pouch in the goblin’s hands. The goblin runs towards the half-elf checking out the bulletin board, says something you can’t hear from this distance, points to your table, then runs out the door.
The bartender brings another glass of ale for the dwarf, then says in a gravelly voice, “Two good ale, 15 gold.” He holds his hand out.
The large and imposing half-orc brings the pirate another shot of rum.
"Is there something I can help you with?" Lia asks the kenku. "This isn't your normal type of place to visit..." She raises an eyebrow as the kenku calls over the goblin and hands over the pouch, more interested than anything as the goblin runs over to the woman by the board. "What are you up to now?" She asks the kenku.
Does Lia also recognize the goblin? If so, what would the kenku be using him for? I.E. what normal tasks does the goblin do for folk?
Lia can see Skarhys’s beak move, but for a brief moment, no sound comes out. Then, a variety of voices start spilling out. You can make out “You know I been strugglin’. Puttin’ up a facade to seem full’a success. I finally found a gem I lost many years ago. It would’a made me rich if some’un hadn’t stoled it right away. I need help gettin’ it back.”
Lia does not recognize the goblin. He was just a random customer at the tavern. However, you do know they love gold. Skarhys may have taken advantage of that knowledge.
Brodan wants to tell the half orc he is crazy for charging such a price but decide to keep his opinion to himself so that he doesn't start a fight. With an internal grumble he pulls out the gold and places it in the hands of the bartender. Deciding he was not going to be paying for more he sips at this drink.
"Thank ye but this is me last drink..."
Rekuberk Onc Level 8 | Half Orc | Barbarian (The Tales of the Fellowship of the White Cloaks)
Kayassa Level 3 | Satyr | Warlock (Cleath13's LMoP)
Bertolt Silentlash Level 3 | Variant Human | Bard (Our Little Lives Kept in Equipoise: Death House)
Daerthe Narcion Level 4 | Drow | Rogue (Karmoli's Great Upheaval)
The front door swings open with a loud crash and stomping in, through a halo of dust, came an apparition difficult to assess at first glance, but ugly would naturally be one of the first things that would spring to mind. The being was about one-and-a-half meters tall, and close to that wide, covered in dark-red iron chain mail and carrying a monstrous club, made from the root ball of an iron wood tree - for those who might be able to discern the difference - over it's left shoulder. It's head, covered with grizzled red and grey hair looking as though chunks had been ripped out, appeared to lack a neck, maybe that was because what neck there might be was hidden beneath a necklace of jawbones, teeth and other fragments of skull bones; the splotchy green and tan skin, what was visible anyway, looked rough enough to scrape rusty metal clean. Glaring around with large, bright eyes, one brilliant green, the other a fiery orange, it growled out in a sotto voce bellow that shook the bottles nearby, "Brain-pan I breaker be Kronk!"
Bellying up to the bar and whamming down a few coppers he barked out, "Grog!"
Not touching the grog, he peered round the room.
"Need who breaker brain-pan Kronk?" The basso vibration of his voice caused some of the grog to slop out of the mug.
Panic is a mechanism that strengthens the gene pool.
"Any idea who took the thing?" Lia asks. She bites her lower lip as she considers the kenku. "I do owe you some, for all of those times you covered for me when I was getting my legs under me." Seh says finally.
The half-orc seems to not care about the brutal appearance of Kronk, but quickly glances at it while going to get the grog. He takes the coppers, not wanting to lose an arm by telling it the grog costs more.
Back to Lia and Skarhys, he tells her, once again mimicking many voices he has heard, “No, I don’t. I only know location. It is be challenging. Not close to Tarnos. You comf’table?”
"Where is this location?" Lia asks with a sigh, pushing her hair behind an ear. "We will have to call us even though, if I help with this..." She adjusts the chain around her neck, as she looks distracted for a moment, as if someone else is speaking to her. her hand settles down between her breasts, where the end of the chain is likely to be.
(What does Lia's Warlock patron have to say about all of this?)